Primary IC Critical Skill Sets and General Competencies

Besides a diverse workforce, what skills is the intelligence community (IC) looking for? Here are areas of specialization within the IC and general competencies needed to be successful in this community.

Critical Skills

Information Technology Specialists

  • Project managers
  • Computer specialists
  • Systems research
  • Software Applications
  • Software specialists
  • Electronic Data Optimization
  • Cyber Security

Political/Economic Specialists

  • Political
  • Foreign/Regional Area specialists
  • Economics
  • Military specialists
  • Geospatial specialists
  • International business/finance/banking

Language Specialists

  • Middle Eastern
  • Far Eastern
  • World Languages

Threat Specialists

  • Counterterrorism
  • Counterintelligence
  • Counternarcotics
  • Criminal Justice
  • Law Enforcement
  • Homeland Security
  • Risk Analysis

Scientific/Technical Specialists

  • Scientists
  • Engineers
  • Nuclear specialists
  • Nonproliferation
  • Technical weapons
  • Geospatial specialists
  • Imagery specialists
  • Geodesists
  • Cartographers
  • Telecommunications
  • Information security
  • Forensics

General Competencies

  • Analysis
  • Analytical Reasoning
  • Critical Thinking
  • Communications (oral and written)
  • Mathematical Reasoning
  • Project Management
  • Knowledge Management
  • Consequence Management
  • Time Management
  • Researching and developing rational conclusions and alternative solutions from ambiguity and limited data sets
  • Political Strategy
  • Team Building/Team Work
  • Futuristic Focus/Strategy
  • Establishing Priorities
  • Government(s) Operations
  • People Skills